Ryder Cup: Match-by-match summary of Saturday's foursomes
Saturday 1 October 2016 20:18, UK
Spanish duo Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello sneaked a crucial half point to help Europe close to within one point of the USA at the Ryder Cup. Here's a look at how the drama unfolded match-by-match...
Europe kept their dreams alive of winning their fourth straight Ryder Cup as Darren Clarke's side turned in a remarkable performance to ensure that they would trail the Americans by just a single point heading into Saturday afternoon's fourball matches at 6.5 to 5.5.
A fired-up Rory McIlroy led from the front as Europe kept their comeback on track at Hazeltine with Garcia and Cabrera Bello very nearly completing the most amazing recovery in their final morning foursomes match but were forced to settle for a half to turn up the heat on the Americans.
Here, we take a look at how the drama continued to unfold from the first match until the last in Minnesota.
Saturday's foursomes
Match 1
Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters beat Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson 4&2
This was Ryder Cup foursomes at its very best. The match started with a bang courtesy of two opening hole birdies from each pair, which set the tone for a pulsating encounter. Despite being level going down at the 2nd, Europe found themselves three-up coming to the 6th, after a tremendous run of birdies. Even when Pieters found the water at the par-four 7th, his partner's exquisite wedge shot set up a par to keep their lead at three.
Mickelson and Fowler roared back by winning the 9th and 10th but McIlroy's brilliant 15-foot putt on the next restored the two-shot advantage. Further gains at the 14th and 15th from Europe sealed victory.
Huge putt
Mickelson rolled back the years to stay calm under pressure and hole a beauty from 50 feet for par to avoid going four down on the eighth.
Birdie bonanza
Fowler and long-hitting Belgian rookie Pieters both sank birdie putts on the first hole to whip up the Hazeltine crowd.
Fowler trickled in a 20-footer from the back of the first tee to give the USA a birdie start.
However, rookie Pieters followed suit, drilling in to the heart of the cup before putting the finger to his lips to silence the home crowd.
Rory gets one over Lefty
McIlroy had lost his previous three Ryder Cup matches against Mickelson and admitted: "When I saw the draw last night I was like 'Yes, I get to have a go at him again'.
"My record against him in the Ryder Cup isn't what I would like it to be so personally I maybe wanted it a little bit more for that reason."
Funny moments
Despite all the pressure, the Ryder Cup has thrown up plenty of humorous moments, involving McIIroy and Fowler among others...
Match 2
Brandt Snedeker and Brooks Koepka beat Henrik Stenson and Matt Fitzpatrick 3&2
It would prove to be a tough introduction to Ryder Cup life for rookie Fitzpatrick as he and Open champion Stenson bumped into the in-form American pair, who took control of this game on the back-nine.
The dynamic US duo were two up inside four holes but were pegged back by the Europeans after a classy putt from Fitzpatrick on the 11th. With the game all square, Snedeker's putter caught fire as he sunk birdie putts at the 13th and 14th before Koepka made it three birdies on the spin with a incredible 25-foot effort.
Any faint European hopes were sunk when Fitzpatrick found the water with his approach to the 16th.
Patience was key
"The hardest thing we have to deal with this week is not getting too excited but we did a great job of staying patient," said Snedeker. "It was not pretty by any stretch of the imagination and we found a way to win."
Live Ryder Cup Breakfast
Match 3
Justin Rose and Chris Wood beat Jimmy Walker and Zach Johnson 1 up
Europe went ahead with Wood's eight-foot birdie putt at the seventh and Rose's brilliant approach to the 10th doubled their advantage.
The Europeans felt the heat at Hazeltine when Rose inexplicably went for the 16th in two and found the lake, their advantage was one but two pars were enough for a vital point.
Live Ryder Cup Golf
Match 4
Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello halved with Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth
When Spieth and Reed went four up after 11 holes after covering the front in five under par, the Americans looked assured of completing a crucial point.
Reed missed the green at the par-three 13th to give their opponents a glimmer of hope and when Spieth hit his approach to the 15th into the water their lead was just two. Garcia holed a monster 10ft birdie at the next to set up a tense finish. Cabrera Bello putted in from the 17th fringe to make it all square and Garcia sank a nervy two-footer for a half at the last.
What a finish...
Spaniards Garcia and Ryder Cup rookie Cabrera Bello won four of the last six holes to halve the match in one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the biennial team event.
"I had to take a lot of breaths on 17 and 18 because emotions were so high when we saw we had a chance of winning the match. All credit to my partner," said Garcia.
Now that's magic!
Watch the bizarre incident on the 5th where Garcia missed the green but his ball found the pocket of a fan!
